Infant&#39;s chair



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United States Patent 3,142,512 INFANTS CHAIR Earl F. Hamilton and Ralph B. Lay, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Hamilton Cosco, Inc, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 172,444 7 Claims. (Cl. 297317) This invention relates to an infants chair, and more particularly to an infants chair which is adjustable between generally upright and reclining positions.

It is an object of the invention to provide an infants chair of attractive appearance which can be easily adjusted between a generally upright position and a reclining position, which will safely and comfortably hold an infant in any of its positions of adjustment, which will be light in weight and sturdy and durable in use, and which can be shipped and stored in a compact knocked-down condition.

In accordance with one form of the invention, there is provided a base frame having ground-engageable leg members retained in a fixed vertical orientation and interconnected by a pair of lateral stretches disposed in an elevated position. A seat is pivotally interconnected to said lateral stretches on a first transverse pivot axis and is hingedly connected to a back which is pivotally interconnected to said lateral stretches on a second transverse pivot axis rearwardly of said first pivot axis. Means are provided for moving said seat and back longitudinally with respect to each other causing them to pivot with respect to each other about the axis of their hinged interconnection between a generally chair-upright position and a reclining position. Conveniently, means are provided for adjustably controlling the relative movement of said seat and back with respect to each other to dispose said seat and back in intermediate positions of adjustment between said upright and reclining positions.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an infants chair embodying our invention, with portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the infants chair shown in FIG. 1, but with portions thereof broken away and showing said chair in its reclining position;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the infants chair shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the lower portion of the chair back;

FIG. 9 is a modified form of the infants chair shown in FIG. 1, with portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the chair shown in FIG. 9 and showing the interconnection between the chair back and base;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation of another modified form of the chair shown in FIG. 1, but with portions thereof being broken away; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged isometric view of the means for adjusting the positioning of the chair shown in FIG. 11.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, our infants chair is supported on a base frame conveniently formed of lengths of metal-tubing and comprising forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections 10 and 12. The forward base section 10 is formed from a length of metal-tubing 3,142,512 Ce Patented July 28, 1964 bent to provide a pair of downwardly extending groundengageable legs 14 interconnected by a transversely extending bight 15 and integrally connected to rearwardly extending lateral stretches 16. Similarly, the rearward base section 12 comprises downwardly extending groundengageable legs 17 interconnected by a transversely extending bight 18 and integrally connected to forwardly extending lateral stretches 20. The tubing forming the forward base frame section 10 is of smaller diameter than the tubing forming the rearward base frame section 12, and the lateral stretches 16 of the forward section 10 are thus telescopically received in the lateral stretches 20 of the rearward section 12. For reasons that will become more apparent hereinafter, one of the lateral stretches 20 is provided with a series or" longitudinally spaced openings 22, and the lateral stretch 16 received in the lateral stretch 20 provided with such openings is provided with a spring lock 24 having a detent 25 receivable in the openings 22 for thus adjustably locking the frame sections 10 and 12 in various positions of telescopic adjustment.

' Conveniently, the chair seat 26 and chair back 28 are each formed as integral plastic moldings. Projecting upwardly from the seat bottom 29 along each of its lateral edges are side panels 31 having their edges remote from the seat bottom 29 curved outwardly and downwardly, as at 31. Similarly, the seat back 28 is provided with forwardly projecting side panels 32 along its lateral edges, with the edges of said side panels being curved outwardly and rearwardly, as at 33. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear edges of the seat side panels 34) and the lower edges of the back side panels 33 both slope obliquely upwardly, so that with the chair in its generally upright position,

said side panels form a pair of substantially continuousinfant-confining side walls.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of laterally spaced slots 35 are formed in the seat bottom 29 adjacent its rear edge. Received in each of the slots 35 is one of a plurality of hooked tongues 36 integrally formed on the chair back 28 adjacent its lower end to thus hingedly interconnect the chair seat and bottom along a transverse axis.

, For reasons that will become more apparent hereinafter,

both the seat 26 and back 28 are provided with pairs of laterally projecting noses 37 immediately adjacent their hingedly interconnected edges.

The seat 26 and back 28 are pivotally interconnected to the lateral frame stretches 16 and 20, respectively, to thus support the chair formed by said seat and back on the base frame in an elevated position above the floor. As shown in FIGS. 36, the chair back 28 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced, rearwardly projecting ribs 38 provided with transversely aligned openings 39. A rod 43 is journaled in the rib openings 39 with its ends projecting outwardly beyond the edges of the chair back 28 and rotatably received in openings formed in the inner faces of the lateral frame stretches 20. Conveniently, a rearwardly projecting, upwardly open finger 44 is formed on the back of the chair back '28 intermediate the ribs 38 and is received over the rod 43 to thus further interconnect said rod to the chair back.

Like the back 28, the seat 26 has a pair of laterally spaced, downwardly projecting ribs which are provided with transversely aligned openings 47. A transversely extending pivot rod 50 is journaled in the rib openings 47 with its ends projecting outwardly beyond the lateral edges of the chair seat 26 and rotatably received in aligned openings formed in the inner faces of the lateral frame stretches 16. A downwardly projecting, rearwardly open finger 51 is also formed on the seat bottom 29 intermediate the ribs 46 and extends over the rod 50 to further interconnect said rod to the seat 26.

Conveniently, slots 52 are formed in the back 28 adjacent its lateral edges for mounting an infant-retaining strap 53 on the chair. And a resilient cushion 54 extends from the forward edges of the seat 26 to the top edge of the back 28 over the upwardly presented faces of said seat and back to enhance the comfort thereof.

To move the chair from its generally upright position shown in FIG. 1 into its reclining position shown in FIG. 2, the detent 25 of the spring 24 is depressed out of the most rearwardly disposed slot 22 and the frame sections and 12 are then moved forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, to increase the longitudinal spacing between pivot axes formed by the rods 43 and 50. As the longitudinal spacing between said pair of rods is increased, the seat 26 and back 28 are moved longitudinally with respect to each other and pivot about the axes of the rods 43 and 50 and their hinged interconnection into the reclining position shown in FIG. 2. With the chair in its full reclining position, the noses 37 on the seat and back will engage the lower faces of the frame stretches to prevent the hinge axis of the tongues 36 and slots 35 from swinging upwardly through the plane of the pivot rods 43 and 50. The chair is releasably locked in its reclining position shown in FIG. 2 by the lock-detent projecting upwardly through the most forward slot 22. The detent 25 may, of course, also be received in an intermediate slot 22 to releasably lock the chair in an intermediate position of adjustment between its generally upright and reclining positions. To move the chair from its reclining position of FIG. 2 into its upright position of FIG. 1, it is merely necessary to depress the detent 25 and telescope the frame stretches 16 into the stretches 20 to move the seat and back relative to each other in an opposite direction.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, and comprises a chair seat and back construction identical to that shown in FIG. 1, wherein a chair seat 55 is hingedly connected to the chair back 56, as at 57, and transversely extending pivot rods 58 and 60 are mounted on the underside of the seat 55 and a rear face of the back 56, respectively, in the same manner as the rods 43 and 50 described in the previous modification. The chair is supported on a rigid base 59 having pairs of front legs 61 and rear legs 62 interconnected by trans verse bights, with the upper ends of the front and rear legs along each side of said frame being interconnected by a horizontally disposed lateral frame stretch 63. As shown in FIG. 10, an elongated slot 64 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced downwardly projecting notches 65 is formed in the inner face of each of the lateral stretches 63 adjacent the rear legs 62. The seat rod 58 projects laterally outwardly from the seat 55 and is rotatably carried in aligned openings formed in the lateral frame stretches 63, and the back rod 60 projects laterally outwardly from the back 66 for reception in the slots 64. Thus, upon movement of the rod 60 in the slots 64, the seat 55 and back 56 move longitudinally with respect to each other and pivot with respect to each other about the axes 57, 58, and 60 between the generally upright position shown in full line in FIG. 9 and the reclining position shown in dotted line in FIG. 9.

Still another modification of our chair structure is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, and like the other modifications, comprises a chair seat 68 hingedly interconnected to a chair back 70, as at 72. The chair is supported on a base frame 73 comprising pairs of front legs 74 and rear legs 76 interconnected by transversely extending bights, with the upper ends of the front and rear legs along each side of the frame being interconnected by a lateral stretch 77. A transversely extending pivot rod 78 is mounted on the back 70 in the manner described in connection with the rod 43 shown in FIG. 3, and projects laterally outwardly from said back for reception in aligned openings formed in the inner faces of the lateral stretches 77 adjacent the rear ends thereof. A second pivot rod 80 extends under the seat 68 and has its ends received in the frame stretches 77 adjacent the forward ends thereof. As shown in FIG. 12, the seat 68 is interconnected to the rod 80 by means of a bracket 82 mounted on the underside of the seat 66 as by fasteners 84. As shown, the bracket 82 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced, downwardly open sockets 86 adapted to be selectively received over the rod to thus form an axis of interconnection between the seat 68 and rod 80. Conveniently, a leaf spring 88 is connected to the bracket 82, as by one of the fastening members 84, and extends along the bottom thereof below the plane of the rod 80.

To move the chair from its generally upright position shown in full lines in FIG. 11 to its fully reclining position shown in dotted lines, it is merely necessary to raise the seat 68 against the biasing action of the spring 88, and slide said seat forwardly until the most rearwardly disposed bracket socket 86 is in position to be received over the rod 80. Conversely, movement of the seat 68 in an opposite direction to dispose one of the more forwardly disposed sockets 86 over the rod 80 will move said seat and back into their generally chair-upright positions. As the seat 68 is moved longitudinally with respect to the back 70, it will pivot relative to the axis of the rod 80 and will pivot with respect to said back 70 about their hinge axis 72, said back pivoting about the axis of its pivot rod 80 during such movement.

We claim:

1. An adjustable infants chair, comprising (a) a tubular base frame having pairs of front and rear leg members,

(1)) a pair of laterally disposed, longitudinally extending, horizontal frame stretches, each extending between the front and rear leg members and interconnecting said front and rear leg members along one side of the base and maintaining said leg members in a fixed vertical orientation with respect to each other,

(0) a chair seat pivotally interconnected to said frame stretches on a first transverse pivot rod carried in said frame stretches,

((1) a chair back hingedly connected to said seat below the plane of said frame stretches and pivotally interconnected to said frame stretches on a second transverse pivot rod carried in said frame stretches in the same general plane as said first pivot rod,

(c) said first and second pivot rods constituting the sole means of interconnecting said seat and back to said frame and at least one of said first and second pivot rods being longitudinally adjustable in the plane of said pivot rods and frame stretches, whereby said seat and back are angularly movable with respect to each other between a chair-upright position and a chair-reclining position, and

(f) means on said frame stretches intermediate the ends thereof adjustably controlling the relative longitudinal positioning of the pivot rods for said seat and back for controlling the angular positioning of said seat and back relative to each other.

2. An adjustable infants chair as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that (a) means project laterally outwardly from said chair adjacent the interconnection of said seat and back for engagement with the lower faces of said frame stretches when said seat and back are in said chairreclining position.

3. An infants chair as set forth in claim 1 in which (a) said seat and back comprise a pair of plastic moldings with pairs of longitudinally extending channeled ribs projecting downwardly and rearwardly from said seat and back, respectively, and having aligned openings formed therein,

(b) said first and second pivot rods are received in the openings in the ribs on the seat and back, respectively, with their ends received in openings formed in said frame stretches,

(c) a rearwardly open finger is disposed on the lower face of said seat between the pair of ribs thereon and is received over said first pivot rod, and

(d) an upwardly open finger is disposed on the rear face of said back between the pair of ribs thereon and is received over said second pivot rod.

4. An adjustable, infants chair, comprising (a) a base frame having pairs of front and rear leg members,

(b) a pair of laterally disposed longitudinally extending frame stretches each comprising a forward portion connected to the front legs and to a rearward portion connected to the rear legs whereby said frame stretches interconnect the front and rear leg members along each side of the base and maintain said leg members in a fixed vertical orientation with respect to each other,

(0) a chair seat pivotally interconnected to the forward portions of said frame stretches on a first transverse pivot rod carried in said frame stretches, and

(d) a chair back hingedly connected to said seat and pivotally interconnected to the rearward portions of said frame stretches on a second transverse pivot rod carried in said frame stretches;

(e) the ends of the forward and rearward portions of said frame stretches being telescopically interconnected for longitudinally positioning said first and second pivot rods relative to each other whereby said seat and back are adjustably tiltable with respect to each other about their hinged connection between a chair-upright position nad a chair-reclining position.

5. An infants chair as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that (a) said forward and rearward portions are provided with cooperative lock means for releasably locking them in the desired position of telescopic adjustment.

6. An infants chair as set forth in claim 4 in which (a) said forward and rearward portions of the frame stretches comprise the ends of a forwardly and a rearwardly disposed pair of generally U-shaped base sections, the bights of which project downwardly to form said leg members,

(b) said first and second pivot rods are received in openings formed in said forwardly and rearwardly disposed base sections, respectively.

7. An infants chair as set forth in claim 1 in which (a) said means comprises a pair of elongated slots formed in said lateral frame stretches and provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches, and

(b) one of said first and second pivot rods has its ends slidably received in said slots for selective reception in said notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 326,241 Preston Sept. 15, 1885 778,526 Bennett Dec. 27, 1904 1,033,013 Herbold July 16, 1912 1,354,540 Dixon Oct. 5, 1920 2,021,120 Wilkins Nov. 12, 1935 2,670,785 M achet Mar. 2, 1954 2,928,457 Welsh Mar. 15, 1960 2,931,640 Riddle Apr. 5, 1960 2,990,007 Kessler June 27, 1961 2,997,311 Umanoif Aug. 22, 1961 3,101,972 Laughlin Aug. 27, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 2 Great Britain 1905 554,929 Belgium Feb. 28, 1957 812,354 Germany Aug. 30, 1951 1,226,662 France Feb. 29, 1960 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE INFANT''S CHAIR, COMPRISING (A) A TUBULAR BASE FRAME HAVING PAIRS OF FRONT AND REAR LEG MEMBERS, (B) A PAIR OF LATERALLY DISPOSED, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, HORIZONTAL FRAME STRETCHES, EACH EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR LEG MEMBERS AND INTERCONNECTING SAID FRONT AND REAR LEG MEMBERS AND INTERCONNECTING SAID FRONT AND REAR LEG MEMBERS ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE BASE AND MAINTAINING SAID LEG MEMBERS IN A FIXED VERTICAL ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, (C) A CHAIR SEAT PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TO SAID FRAME STRETCHES ON A FIRST TRANSVERSE PIVOT ROD CARRIED IN SAID FRAME STRETCHES, (D) A CHAIR BACK HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SEAT BELOW THE PLANE OF SAID FRAME STRETCHES AND PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TO SAID FRAME STRETCHES ON A SECOND TRANSVERSE PIVOT ROD CARRIED IN SAID FRAME STRETCHES IN THE SAME GENERAL PLANE AS SAID FIRST PIVOT ROD, (E) SAID FIRST AND SECOND PIVOT RODS CONSTITUTING THE SOLE MEANS OF INTERCONNECTING SAID SEAT AND BACK TO SAID FRAME AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PIVOT RODS BEING LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE IN THE PLANE OF SAID PIVOT RODS AND FRAME STRETCHES, WHEREBY SAID SEAT AND BACK ARE ANGULARLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN A CHAIR-UPRIGHT POSITION AND A CHAIR-RECLINING POSITION, AND (F) MEANS ON SAID FRAME STRETCHES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF ADJUSTABLY CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL POSITIONING OF THE PIVOT RODS FOR SAID SEAT AND BACK FOR CONTROLLING THE ANGULAR POSITIONING OF SAID SEAT AND BACK RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER. 